In 1963, James P. Wesberry lived in a Georgia congressional district that had a population double than that of other congressional districts in the state. He argued that because there was only one member of Congress for each congressional district, his vote did not count because of the state’s failure to adjust the congressional districts to meet the changing population. Wesberry sought to prevent the Georgia government from conducting elections under the current districting system. The district court dismissed his complaint. Wesberry appealed to the Supreme Court. The majority opinion of the Supreme Court was that congressional districts must have roughly equal populations. The court further held that the state apportionment statute was invalid because it abridged the Constitution.
Based on the information above, please respond to the following questions.
1. Identify a difference in the facts of Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) that affected the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision.
2. Explain how the decision in Baker v. Carr is similar to the decision in Wesberry v. Sanders.
3. Explain the role stare decisis likely played in the Wesberry v. Sanders decision.